Duplicate bridge



Oct. 5, 1926.

w.' v. SCHN U R- DUPLICATE BRIDGE Filed May 19, 1926 FIG IVILLIAM V. SCI-INUR, OFCI-IICAG-O, ILLINOIS.

DUPLICATE BRIDGE.

Application filed May 19,

In card games such as duplicate whist, duplicate bridge and the like, a plurality of decks of cards are commonly kept in a separated condition in hands. IVooden trays are commonly used, having compartments in which the four or more hands of each deck are segregated, and springs are provided in the compartments to engage the cards and hold them in place. Trays such as these are necessarily expensive of manufacture and are also inconvenientto handle by reason of their weight and bulk, it being the usual practice to have in a duplicate whist or bridge set as many as fifty of these trays.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to provide a novel substitute for the trays of the prior art in the form of a case having pockets for the hands of cards, the cards being retained in the pockets without necessitating the employment of springs, and wherein the case will be of such relatively small dimensions that a plurality can be conveniently kept in a restricted space. The invention further aims to provide a case of this character which will be decidedly neat in appearence, inexpensive of manufacture, and wherein the cards will be substantially incased and shielded from dust and the like when not in use.

The invention also comprehen'ds such further methods and economies of construction as will be developed as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates what now occurs to me as a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a'perspective view of a case constructed in accordance with my invention:

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.1,

Fig. 3 is an edge elevation.

The same reference characters designate similar parts in allviews. In carrying out the invention I employ a square and relatively thin but stiff board 5, which is preferably of fibrous material although other substances such as rubber and the like can be used to advantage. Over one surface of this board 5 I stretch a leather or analogous covering 6, the marginal edge portion 7 of which is turned rearwardly against the back of the board 5 and adhesively secured thereto.

To form the card receiving pockets, the covering 6 is stitched to board 5 by lines of stitching 8 which are extended inwardly 1926. steam. 110,215.

from each side of the board. Each line is in parallelism With an adjacent edge of the board and is spaced therefrom a distance slightly exceeding the ordinarywidth of a playing card. It is noted that the lines of stitching 8 are nearer to one edge of the board than to the othervedge. Thus adjacent lines of stitching intersect at right angles to formthe surface of the board into four equal rectangular areas 9, the'relative position of the lines of stitching with respect to the sides of the board producing at the center thereof a relatively restricted area 10.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the stitches extend entirely through the board 5 and the marginal edge portion 7 of the covering 6 whereby to cooperate with the adhesive in preventing loosening or creeping of the covering 6 with respect to the board 5.

Each of the rectangular areas is provided at a point from its-inner end which is less than the length of a playing card, with a transverse slit'11 through the covering 6. The slits 11 form the mouths of pockets 12 between the board 5 and the covering 6. It is noted that each line of stitching 8 defines the end of one of the areas 9 and its pocket 12, and also the side of another area and its pocket. Since the distance from the slits 11 to the inner ends of the pockets 12 is less than the length of a playing card, the cards cannot be fully encased in the pockets so that their rear edges would engage and catch in what might be said to be the back edge.

of the slit, or the edge of the part 9 of the areas lying outwardly of the pocket mouths. Instead, the outer ends of the cards will protrude from the pocketslEZ and overlie the outer portions 9 of the areas 9 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. H

The inherent flexibility of the covering 6 will be suflicient to effectively hold the hands of cards in place without necessitating the use of springs as in prior devices. Furthermore, the pressure of the cards upon the outer area portions 9 will tend to prevent the inner edges thereof adjacent the slits 11 from curling backward and spoiling the appear ance of the case. Likewise, such edges will not become frayed and a smooth fiat surface will be preserved at all times.

A backing of fabric 13 or the like upon the back of the board 5 serves to cover the stitchingS and also by overlying the portion 7 to act as a further means for holding the cover 6 tightly in place.

The area 10, formed as previously described by the lines of stitching 8, serves as a point for the location of an arrow 14: or other indicia necessary in the proper use of the device.

It Will be appreciated that I have provided a casing of this character which elim-i inates entirely the metal blanks or partitions commonly used heretofore to define the hand receiving compartments in the metal or Wooden trays of the prior art. But one piece of leather and a backing board, arranged, stitched and slitted in the novel fashion described is necessary in the production of my case. The case is of a minimum size and consequently a great number can be kept in a relatively small space.

Having thus described my invention What I Claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 11A device of the class described comprising a relatively. still" backing member, a flexible covering forone side or" said backing member, lines of stitchingr extending inwardly front the marginal edges of the device and retaining the covering in place, said lines of stitching intersecting and di viding the covered surface of said board into a plurality of areas of equal size, said cover portion ithin each of said areas being transversely slitted to form a pocket between said cover portion and said backing member for the reception of playing cards.

2. A device of the class described coirprising a relatively stiff backing member, a

flexible covering for one side of said backmember and having its edges overlying a part of the other side of said backing member, lines of stitching extending in- \vardly from the marginal edges of the de vice and through said backing andthe overlying edges of said covering at the second mentioned side or said backing to thereby retain the covering in place, said lines of stitching intersecting and dividing the covered surface of said board into a plurality of areas of equal size, and said cover portion ivithin each of said areas being transversely slitted to form a pocket between said cover portion and said backing member for the reception of playing cards. I

3. A device of the class described comprising a relatively stiff backing member, a ti rible covering for one side of said backing member, lines 01 stitching extending inwardly from the marginal edges of the device and retaining the covering in place, said lines of stitching intersecting and dividing the covered surface of said board into a plurality of areasfof equal, size, said cover portion Within each of said areas he: n transvesely slitted to term a, pocket between said cover portion and saidbacking member forthe reception of playing-cards, and. said site being spaced from the ends of said pockets a distance less than the length of a iilaying card so that the rear ends of cards inserted in said pockets, Will overlie and bear against said covering outwardly of said pockets andiwill not become engaged with the outer edge of said slits. i

4, The strncturejdefined in claim 2 and WILLIAM V. SCI-INUR,

slits being spaced from the ends of id pockets a distance less than the length 

